Return to Work: The 5 Biggest Challenges and How to Fix Them

Spoiler alert: If returning to the office feels like a waste of time to your employees, your return-to-work strategy might need a makeover.

Here’s what the National Workplace Trends Study revealed about the top challenges facing return-to-office transitions and the proven ways to fix them, without the fluffy team-building meetings and pizza parties.

1. Trust in Leadership Has Taken a Hit

The Stat: 57% of employees say distrust in leadership makes them consider leaving their jobs. And let’s face it, nobody wants to return to a culture of micromanagement or unclear direction.

The Fix: Leaders need to become visible, vulnerable, and values-driven. Coach people up when necessary. And listen to their challenges and solutions. When employees trust leadership, they show up with more energy and less eye-rolling.

Success Tip: Train leaders on how to give feedback and recognize contributions. 36% of employees say that alone would convince them to stay longer.

2. ‘Burnout’ is Being Glamorized as ‘Grit’

The stat: A whopping 74% of workers believe work is more stressful than it was ten years ago, and Gen Z is practically burnt out by breakfast. Return-to-work shouldn't feel like a burnout trap; it should recharge and re-energize your staff.

The Fix: Normalize boundaries. Reinforce expectations around unplugging after hours, and reevaluate workloads to avoid the back-from-vacation avalanche.

Success Tip: Provide training programs to help leaders and teams spot burnout early. Proactive support reduces turnover and keeps energy high.

3. Hybrid Confusion Causes Culture Erosion

The Challenge: Employees are split between home and office, and culture often gets lost in translation. Remote teams feel disconnected, while in-person workers are left wondering, “What are we even doing here?”

The Fix: Rebuild your culture around purpose, not presence. According to the National Workplace Trends Study, 80% of employees say having a sense of purpose is essential to job satisfaction. Hybrid models need hybrid culture strategies that bring everyone in, regardless of location.

Success Tip: Anchor your hybrid policies in your company’s mission and reinforce them during onboarding, team meetings, and performance reviews.

4. Career Growth Feels Foggy

The Stat: Employees want to know there’s a ladder leading to their next level. Without clear paths forward, 42% of Gen Z workers plan to find new jobs within the year.

The Fix: Host 1-1 career-pathing conversations. Create defined growth paths, identify skill gaps, set specific milestones, and provide coaching along the way. Invest in their learning and development.

Success Tip: 81% of employees say companies that prioritize L&D are more attractive, and it makes them want to stick around longer.

5. Employees Don’t Feel a Sense of Team

The Stat: 80% of employees say that a sense of team and belonging is crucial for staying at a company. The problem is, hybrid or remote environments promote working in silos. 

The Fix: Bring people into the office for 2 main reasons… culture alignment and team building. (No, not just the fluffy team games.) Be strategic in fostering real collaboration.

Success Tip: Host weekly/monthly ‘Collaborate and Innovate Sessions’. Ask staff to bring their biggest challenges with them, and then break them into groups to brainstorm ideas together. 

Return-to-Work Checklist:

To become a Destination Workplace™, where people apply, engage, contribute, promote—and stay, you need proven strategies:

• Clarify the “Why” Behind the “Where”
  Reframe the return-to-office narrative around collaboration, culture, and growth.
  
• Elevate Leadership Standards
  Coach managers to lead with integrity, feedback, and accountability.
  
• Create a Workplace Culture Infused With Purpose
  Connect employees to a bigger mission that they can believe in.
  
• Customize Career Paths
  Not everyone’s journey looks the same. Host individual conversations and adjust each career path accordingly.
  
• Foster Team Collaboration
  Bring them to the office for a reason… to collaborate, innovate and succeed together.
  
  

If you're serious about attracting, engaging, and retaining top talent, now’s the time to transform your company into a Destination Workplace™; not just a building employees return to, but one they run to.

Need help turning your workplace into one employees actually want to return to?

Let’s build a culture so magnetic, your team won’t just show up—they’ll want to stay.

📍 Visit DestinationWorkplace.com and let’s make your office comeback actually work.

Creating a winning company culture takes effort, but it's well worth it, and company culture happens to be our area of expertise. We help you become a Destination Workplace™ so you can attract and retain the best talent in this hyper-competitive marketplace. Contact us to learn about our leadership development, culture development, corporate wellness programs, and more!

👉 Download the National Workplace Trends Study